Screen-cleaning device for spark arresters



R. ADAMS SCREEN CLEANING DEVICE FOR SPARK ARRESTERS June 1 7 1924.

Filed July 27.

I4 I! I IIIIIl/lllf'llll 2-Shee1.s-Shaet June 17 1924.

R. ADAMS .SCREEN CLEANING DEVICE FOR SPARK ARRESTBRS Filed July 27, 19222 Sheets-Sheet} Fntented June 17, 1924.

NITED STAT-ES RALPH ADAMS, 0F IEbR'ILAND, OREGON.

SCREEN-CLEANING DEVICE FOR SPARK ABRESTERS.

Application filed July 27, 1922. Serial No. 577,898.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, RALPH ADAMS, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Portland, county of Multnomah, and State of Oregon, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Screen-Cleaning Devicesfor Spark Arresters, of which the following is a specification.

One-of the main objects of my invention is to provide screen cleaningmeans for spark arresters and the like which are positioned in otherwiseinaccessible places.

A further object is to lessen the fire hazard in logging engines due todefective or inadequate spark arresters.

A further object is to provide means for improving the draft of loggingengines inasmuch as my invention can removeclogged surfaces from thespark arrester screen which will otherwise decrease the heating capacityof the logging engine boilers.

Spark arresters as now constructed are placed in position on smokestacks and are left at the mercy of the elements and are replaced onlywhen entirely inoperative.

' This condition is especially harmful in logging operations, especiallyin the western woods inasmuch as the fuel used is almost entirely Woodand defective draft cuts down the heating efliciency of the engine.Engineers, to overcome this fault open the throttle and shake down thefuel in the boilers causing great quantities of sparks to be forced thruthe screen. lhis temporarily o ens the clogged surfaces but increasesthe re hazard. The spark arresters are placed on the engines primarilyto eliminate the danger of forest fires caused from sparks falling onthe slashings immediately surrounding the engine. This action of theengineer which is necessary to keep up the pressure in the boilersdefeats the purpose for which the arresters were intended and are thus asource of constant danger. It is impractical for the firemen to climbupon the roof of a logging engine and clean the spark arrester as theyare usually hot and in almost inaccessible places. The foregoing factsare equally adaptable to locomotives and stationary heating plants.

By my invention the o erator can clean the screens readily by mere yopening a valve and causing the steam or air to pass thru the screensrapidly and clean the clogged meshes. If steamis used the inherentmoisture will also dampen and cool the arrester itself. Thus, during theshaking down operation, the operatoilficould open this valve and dampenthe lighted sparks which would force their way thru the screen andrender. them harmless.

I attain these objects in the combination with a spark arrester having aperforated section, of a pipe arranged relatively to said perforatedsection and relatively movable,

over the latter, said pipe communicating.

actuated .by centrifugal force for restrain ing the rate of saidmovement.

My screen cleaner will sucessfully remove any oil deposits which arecontained in the smoke and the sprface will always be bright and freefrom corroding incrustations.

These and other objects are illustrated in the accompanyin drawings, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of 211 screen cleaner with parts broken awayto s ow features of construction;

Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of Fig. l and indicates the direction ofrotation of the cleaning pipes;

Fig.3 is a diagrammatic re 'resentation of the section of my cleaningevice taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 showing the cleaning jet as normalto the screen and the propelling jet at an angle so as to rotate thevapor carrying pipes around the spark arrester;

'Fig. 4 1s a detail view taken .on the line i of Fig. 1 and shows theposition of the cleaning ports; Fi 5 is a similar detail view taken onthe line 5 of Fig. 1- and shows the cleaning port as spaced between thesimilar ports in Fig. 4 and the propelling port as slightly on an angleand near the top of the device;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2 andshows details of construction of the rotary head;

Figs. 7 and 8 are detail views showing the construction of the bracketswhich hold the cleaning pipes;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of a different type of spark arrester embodying myinvention;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken on the line 10'-10 of Fig. 9 and showsdiagrammatically the operation of the cleaning device removing theincrustations on the interior screen; v

. ig. 11 is a plan view of still another type of spark arrester;

Fig. 12 is a sectional view taken on the line 12-12 of Fig. 11 and alsoshows in diagram the action of the cleaning pipes;

Fig. 13, taken on the line 13.1'3 of Fig. 12 shows details ofconstruction of the cleaning pipes; and

- the screen and the fluid rushin 1g. 14 is a fragmentary section takenon the line 14 of Fig. 12 and shows in diagram the action of thecleaning pipes. My device is positioned on any standard I 15 common formof spark arrester as a. A

hollow standard or pipe I) is connected with some convenient source ofsupply and is connected to the perpendicular intake pipe 0 which passesthru the top d of the spark arrester a. On the pipe 0 is mounted arotary head 6, on the top d, and held in place by a nut f. Between thetop d and the nut f the rotary head is allowed rotation. Horizontalpipes g and h are connected with the rotary head 6 and the fluid passesthru them and'thence to the cleaning pipes i and j respectively. Ports kand Z are po-' sitioned in the cleaning pipe 9' and the fluid passesthru them and forces the incrustations on the screen inwardly and awayfrom the screen. The port m positioned in the pipe 1' performs a similarfunction. Port 2: 1n the pipe 11 is positioned at an angle to thru itand striking the screen causes the c caning pipes to rotate, the sidesof the port bein regulated by the speed desired in the c eaning pipes.The cleaning ipe is positioned an plugged by the brac et 0 fastened tothe supporting band p. The pipe 7' is positioned in and plugged by thebracket 0' which is also connected to the band 11. The band p isrelatively flexible and the cleaning pi hang pendent from theirconnections with the pipes g and h respectively. .When the cleaningdevice is rotated, the cleanin pipes i and j tend to swing outwardly anthe action forces the band 2 against the sides of spark arrester and thefriction limits thespeed of rotation of the device. The rota sad is madewith an incision g whigi with ti hfi port r, phe per- 0 ar p1 c. eperpen cu ar 1pc made a shoulder a which presents a bea on which therotary head can revolve.l ed Ins be ate t ition on t aring so as t d tke the s ear of this rotary head. In 9 and 10, embodyin the arrester a,a similar device is provi ed. Fluid enters thru the pipe b, thence thruthe perpendicular pipe 0', thence to the rotary head e.

7 perform similar The cleanmg' 1 z" and P pas lie previously defunctionsto a and scribed pipe. They plugged and held have provided a hardenedwearat their upper end by transverse members it and u. In Figs. 11 and12 embodying the arrester a, fluid enters thru a pi e b, thence thru aperpendicular pipe 0 t ence thru the rotary head 6 and thence to thecleaning pipe 6 and 9' and are plugged by the ca s '0 and '0'. The fluidpasses out thru the 0 caning ports [0 Z and m and thru the propellingports n I claim:

a 1. The combination with a spark-arrester, of means for cleaning theperforated section of the latter comprising, a sprayer connected with asource of fluid under pressure, movable over said perforated section,the sprayer bemg adapted to emit jets of spray against the latter, andan auxiliary jet formoving the sprayer over the perforated section.

2. The combination with a spark arrester having a perforated section, ofmeans for cleaning the perforated section comprising, a sprayerconnected with a source of fluid under pressure rotatably mounted on thespark arrester, adapted to revolve relatively to said perforatedsection, and to emit jets against the latter, said sprayer also adapteto emit an auxiliary jet at an angle against said spark arrester therebyto cause relative revolution of said sprayer.

3. The combination with a spark arrester having a perforated section, ofmeans for cleaning the perforated section comprising, a sprayerconnected with a source of fluid under pressure rotatably mounted on thespark arrester, adapted to revolve relatively having a perforatedsection, of s raying means connected with a source of flui underpressure and adapted to revolve over said perforated section, arms,included in said spraying means supported at one end and adapted to beafiected by centrifugal force, anda brake band, encompassing said sparkarrester carried by the free ends of said arms.

5. The combination with a spark arreder havin a perforated section, of aipearrange relatively to said perfora section and relatively movableover the latter, said pipe communicating with a source of fluid underpressure, spraying orifices in said pipe disposed to emit jets a ainstsaid perforated section, another ori co in said pi disposed to. emitatjpt at an angle .to said perorated section, ereby'to cause thereaction i the latter jet to give relativemovement to said pipe, andmeans actuated by centrifugal force for restraining the rate of saidmovemeat.

7. The combination with a spark arrester having a perforated section ofs rayin means comprising a hollow standar axia with the spark arrester,connected with a source of fluid under pressure, a rotary head mountedon said standard, laterally extending hollow arms carried by said rotahead, the latter having a port connecting t e hollow arms .with thehollow standard, other arms parallel with the standard fastened at oneend to the free ends of said lateral arms, one of said arallel armsprovided with spraying ori ces dis osed to emit aajet against therforate section of the spark arrester and provided also with anotherorfice dis osed to emit a jet at anan le to said spar arrester, therebyto cause t e reaction due t the latter jet to revolve said rota head.

8. seem ination with a spark arrester having a perforated section ofspraying means comprising, a hollow standard, axis. with the sparkarrester, connected with a source of fluid under pressure, a rotary.head mounted on said standard, laterally extendone of said encompassingsaid ing hollow arms carried by said rotaryl head, the latter having aport connecting t e hollow arms with the hollow standard, other armsparallel with the standard fastened at one end to the free ends of saidlateral arms, arallel arms provided with spraying ori ces dis osed toemit a jet against the rforate section of the spark arrester, an rovidedalso with another orifice dispos to emit a jet at an angle to said sparkarrester, thereby to cause'the reaction due to thelatter jet to revolvesaid rotary head, a break band encom assing said spark arrester carriedby the ee ends of said p arallel arms.

9. he combination with a spark arrester having a perforated section ofspraying means comprising, a hollow standard, axia with the sparkarrester, connected with a source of fluid under pressure, the upper endof said standard being shouldered, a rotary head mounted on saidstandard, and bearing on the head of the spark arrester, a washer on theupper end of said head, a nutthreadedon sai shouldered end of thestandard, laterally extending hollow arms carried by said rotary head,the latter having a port connecting the hollow arms with the ho lowstandard, other arms. parallel with the standard fastenedat one end tothe free ends of said lateral arms, one of said parallel arms provided.with sprayingx orifices disposed to emit a jet against t e erforatedsection of the spark arrester, an provided also with another orificedisposed to emit a jet at an angle to said spark arrester, thereby tocause the reaction due to the latter jet to revolve said rotary head, abreak band ark arrester carried by the free ends of sai parallel arms.

RALPH ADAMS.

